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Neil O'Brien: Just reject the political scaremongering

Ever get the feeling you are being given the hard sell? Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, says Ireland must vote yes to the Lisbon treaty. Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the European commission, delivers the very same message. Bertie Ahern suggested that only "lunatics" would vote against the treaty and Garret FitzGerald claims that only "extremists" will be voting no. Various other politicians have talked about the "chaos" that would follow in the wake of a no vote.

Let's try and get this in perspective. When politicians talk about "chaos", they make it sound like rejecting the treaty will mean the lights go out all over Europe and people will be queuing for bread in the streets. The reality is that a few people in Brussels would have to organise a meeting to discuss what they're going to do next.